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Request for Qualifications Issued for Highway 427 Expansion

TORONTO, July 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for interested parties to design, build, finance and maintain the Highway 427 expansion project.

The Highway 427 expansion project includes:

A new 6.6-kilometre extension from Highway 7 to Major Mackenzie Drive with

six lanes from Highway 7 to Rutherford Road;

four lanes from Rutherford Road to Major Mackenzie Drive; and

three interchanges at Langstaff Road, Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie Drive.

A 4-kilometre road widening from south of Albion Road to Highway 7

from six to eight lanes, from south of Albion Road to south of Steeles Avenue;

from four to eight lanes, from south of Steeles Avenue to Highway; and

median High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

The Highway 427 project is part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history. The Province's 10-year, $130 billion commitment is supported by a number of initiatives, including unlocking the value of public assets to help support investments in transit, transportation and other priority infrastructure projects.

Expansion of Ontario's highway infrastructure spurs economic growth through development opportunities, provides congestion relief, and reduces commute and travel times on critical links, highway corridors and to international gateways.

Extending Highway 427 north of Highway 7 was noted as a priority in the 2006 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and provides economic benefits to the province by offering an enhanced freeway route into York Region, the Vaughan Business area and the CPR Vaughan Intermodal Facility.

The RFQ is the first step in the procurement process to select a team to deliver the project. Submissions will be evaluated to prequalify project teams with the relevant design and construction experience, and the capacity to finance and deliver a project of this size and complexity. Teams who qualify will be invited to respond to a request for proposals, expected to be issued in fall 2015.

The project is being delivered under Infrastructure Ontario's Alternative Financing and Procurement model, which transfers risks associated with design, construction, financing and maintenance of the project to the private sector.

IO and MTO are working together to develop the project, which will remain publicly owned and controlled.

Quotes:

Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation "Expanding Highway 427 will create jobs, strengthen the economy and help keep goods and people moving for years to come. This new expansion project is proof of our commitment to making the daily commute and quality of life better for all Ontario families."

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure"Our government is committed to building a stronger, more prosperous province through the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history. The Highway 427 expansion project will enhance our transportation network, stimulate employment opportunities during construction and help support future development along the highway corridor."

Background:

IO is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario that works to deliver public benefits through partnerships with the private sector. IO delivers large, complex public infrastructure projects using a made-in-Ontario modern procurement and project management practice called Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP). IO also partners with the private sector to manage one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada, provides municipalities and eligible public-sector clients with loans to renew public infrastructure, and leverages its private-sector expertise to advise the provincial public-sector clients on commercial transactions.